Matchplate molding machine

ABSTRACT

A matchplate foundry molding machine having a fill station and an adjacent molding station with a cope, matchplate, and drag assembly adapted to be indexed between such stations. The assembly in the fill station is supported for inversion so that the drag may be inverted and filled with sand. After a bottom board is inserted the assembly is reinverted and the cope filled with sand. The assembly is then indexed into the molding station which includes a vertically movable table, a drag support, a cope support, a fixed matchplate support, and a squeeze head incorporating a jolt ram. When the sand filled assembly is in position, the table elevates and simultaneously jolts and squeezes the cope and drag. The table is then lowered to draw the matchplate from the cope which is held against the squeeze board by its support and when the drag and matchplate reach the matchplate support, the matchplate is drawn from the drag with the drag continuing to coring height with the matchplate alone now indexing back to the fill station. The drag support then elevates the drag with the table following to close the drag against the cope, slight further elevation lifting the flasks free of the sand cakes held by the squeeze head which are then supported on the table. The table lowers with the booked cope and drag sand cakes thereon, the drag support following with the drag, with the cope remaining elevated. When the drag is clear, the matchplate is again indexed into the molding station to be reassembled with the cope and drag flasks. The assembly is then indexed to the fill station for filling and the booked sand cakes are pushed out of the machine.

United States Patent [1 1 Shields et al.

[4 1 Sept. 23, 1975 MATCHPLATE MOLDING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Robert G. Shields, Chagrin Falls;

Warren A. Blower; Edmond K. Hatch, both of Brecksville, all of Ohio [73] Assignee: The Sherwin-Williams Company,

Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: Jan. 3, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 430,644

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 216,013, Jan. 7, 1972, Pat. No.

Primary ExaminerFrancis S. Husar Assistant Examiner.lohn E. Roethel Attorney, Agent, or FirmDonnelly, Maky, Renner & Otto [57] ABSTRACT A matchplate foundry molding machine having a fill station and an adjacent molding station with a cope, matchplate, and drag assembly adapted to be indexed between such stations. The assembly in the fill station is supported for inversion so that the drag may be inverted and filled with sand. After a bottom board is inserted the assembly is reinverted and the cope filled with sand. The assembly is then indexed into the molding station which includes a vertically movable table, a drag support, a cope support, a fixed matchplate support, and a squeeze head incorporating a jolt ram. When the sand filled assembly is in position, the table elevates and simultaneously jolts and squeezes the cope and drag. The table is then lowered to draw the matchplate from the cope which is held against the squeeze board by its support and when the drag and matchplate reach the matchplate support, the matchplate is drawn from the drag with the drag continuing to coring height with the matchplate alone now indexing back to the till station. The drag support then elevates the drag with the table following to close the drag against the cope, slight further elevation lifting the flasks free of the sand cakes held by the squeeze head which are then supported on the table. The table lowers with the booked cope and drag sand cakes thereon, the drag support following with the drag, with the cope remaining elevated. When the drag is clear, the matchplate is again indexed into the molding station to be reassembled with the cope and drag flasks. The assembly is then indexed to the fill station for filling and the booked sand cakes are pushed out of the machine. a

21 Claims, 26 Drawing Figures US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 1 of 18 3,907,024

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US Patfint Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 2 of 18 3,907,024

US Pawm Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 3 of 18 3,907,024

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 4 of 18 3,907,024

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 7 of 18 3,907,024

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 shw 9 of 18 3,907,024

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Own nNNNN m m m M nun US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 10 01 18 3,907,024

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US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 11 of 18 3,907,024

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 12 of18 3,907,024

US Patent (IN INCHES) ELEVATION OF JOLT TABLE Sheet 13 of 18 Sept. 23,1975

COPE SAND MATCH PLATE [1111/ I l l l l l l l l I l I l l l l ll 1 B A; O m a man 5 5 3 ELEVATION OF DRAW ROLLERS lOl2 I4l6 B20222 TIME SECONDS fig. if

(IN INCHES) US Pawn Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 14 of 18 3,907,024

US Patfint Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 15 of 18 3,907,024

US Pamnt Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 18 of 18 3,907,024

MATCI-IPLATE MOLDING MACHINE This is a division of application Ser. No. 216,013, filed Jan. 7, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,103.

This invention relates generally as indicated to a matchplate foundry molding machine and more particularly to a machine of the type noted which is compact and of simplified operation.

Matchplate molding machines generally include a fill and molding station together with a closing station. In order to accomplish both fill and molding at the same station, it is normally required that the molding or squeeze head be laterally shiftable to clear the flasks therebelow for filling or that a sand measuring box be indexed into position for filling in the molding station. This generally requires either a horizontally movable squeeze head or a horizontally movable sand metering box or both. Examples of such matchplate molding machines may be seen in US. Pat. No. 3,589,432 to Miller et al and Hunter U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,738.

It is also desirable to have a matchplate molding machine wherein the tooling can be quickly changed. The tooling includes the matchplate which incorporates both the cope and drag patterns as well as the squeeze head which may imprint a pouring basin on the cope portion of the sand cake. With the machine of the present invention, both the matchplate and the squeeze head may be quickly changed. The present invention also provides a matchplate molding machine which utilizes a jolt mechanism in the squeeze head, the latter being vertically stationary and thus avoiding the complexities attendant to providing a jolt mechanism in the vertically movable squeeze table. The present invention provides a matchplate molding machine wherein the cope and drag are filled at one station and then moved to an adjacent molding station, the cope and drag being rammed at the molding station with the matchplate then being drawn first from the cope and then the drag, the latter being booked with the flasks lifted therefrom to form a booked cope and drag sand cake, the thus formed mold then being pushed from the molding station after the cope and drag flask is reassembled with the matchplate to be shifted to the fill station for filling.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a matchplate molding machine of a compact design wherein the molding, drawing, stripping and closing is all accomplished at the molding statlon.

Another important object is the provision of a compact matchplate molding machine utilizing adjacent fill and molding stations, the sand cakes being rammed,

drawn, stripped and closed at the latter.

A further important object is the provision of a matchplate molding machine utilizing at the molding station unique cope and drag support means controlling the position of the cope and drag flasks following molding to obtain drawing, booking, stripping and reassembly.

A further object is the provision of a matchplate molding machine utilizing a fill station having sand fill apparatus which can quickly fill the drag and then the cope with measured amounts of sand.

Still another object is the provision of a matchplate molding machine utilizing a simplified hydraulically operated table to receive the sand filled cope and drag flasks and to ram the sand therein.

Yet another object is the provision of a matchplate molding machine utilizing a squeeze head incorporating a jolt ram therein.

A still further object is the provision of a matchplate molding machine utilizing a cope support permitting the cope to move upwardly but not downwardly until released for reassembly.

A yet further object is the provision of a matchplate molding machine having an improved matchplate indexing mechanism which operates during the cycle of the machine to index the matchplate both with and without the cope and drag flasks.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a machine in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the machine with the table operating piston-cylinder assembly and the squeeze head partially broken away and in section as seen from the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation of the machine as seen from the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken through the fill station of the machine as seen from the line 44 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevation of the draw mechanism of the machine with one of the draw cylinders being shown in section;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the bottom board feeding mechanism as seen in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of :such bottom board feed ing mechanism as seen from the line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged end view of the bottom board feed mechanism;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged end elevation of the matchplate indexing and carriage inversion mechanism;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged side elevation of the matchplate indexing and carriage inversion mechanism partially broken away and in section;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged end elevation of the matchplate indexing piston-cylinder assembly;

FIG. 12 is an axial section of such piston-cylinder assembly taken substantially on the line l2l2 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 13-13 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary top plan view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 10 as seen from the line l4l4 thereof;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged vertical section of the cope support mechanism;

FIG. 16 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 16l6 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged top plan view of the squeeze head;

FIG. 18 is a quarter section of the squeeze head taken substantially on the line 18-18 of FIG. 17; 

1. A foundary molding machine comprising a vertically movable table adapted to support a sand filled flask having a pattern therein, a squeeze head thereabove, a piston-cylinder assembly supporting said table for movement, said assembly including smaller and larger concentric pistons, means to supply fluid pressure to the smaller piston initially to elevate the table, the elevation of the table drawing fluid beneath the larger piston, and means to supply fluid pressure to both pistons to obtain high pressure squeeze.
 2. A machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said smaller piston is mounted on a fixed rod extending concentrically through said larger piston.
 3. A machine as set forth in claim 2 including a tubular rod for said larger piston supporting said table and telescoping over said fixed rod.
 4. A machine as set forth in claim 1 includiNg a fluid reservoir for said piston-cylinder assembly positioned thereabove to facilitate the drawing of fluid beneath the larger piston.
 5. A machine as set forth in claim 4 including valve means for said larger piston selectively to connect the same to said reservoir or to a source of fluid under high pressure.
 6. A foundry molding machine having a vertically movable table and power means operative to raise said table for squeezing the sand within such flask to form a foundry mold, and lower said table to draw the pattern from the mold, characterized in that said table is supported on a hollow rod projecting from a cylinder, a piston on the lower end of said hollow rod forming a first chamber therebelow, a second rod projecting into said hollow rod through the lower end of said cylinder, a piston on the top of said second rod forming a second chamber thereabove, respective passages connected to said first and second chambers, said power means initially supplying pressure to one of said chambers to elevate said table thus to draw fluid into the other of said chambers, and then supplying pressure to both chambers to obtain squeeze.
 7. A foundry molding machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein said second rod is stationary and the passage to such second chamber extends concentrically therethrough.
 8. A machine as set forth in claim 6 including a fluid reservoir above said table to facilitate the drawing of fluid into the other of such chambers.
 9. A machine as set forth in claim 6 including valve means alternatively connecting the other of such chambers to said power means or a fluid reservoir.
 10. A foundry molding machine comprising a vertically movable table adapted to support a sand filled pattern containing flask, a squeeze head thereabove, a draw frame, means on said draw frame interengaging such flask to retain the flask for movement therewith, and piston-cylinder means for vertically moving said draw frame, said piston-cylinder means including fixed stop means for accurately vertically positioning said draw frame and thus the flask in a plurality of vertical positions.
 11. A machine as set forth in claim 10 wherein said piston-cylinder means includes two interconnected cylinders, a piston in one connected to said draw frame, and a piston in the other fixed to the machine.
 12. A machine as set forth in claim 11 wherein said cylinders are tandemly connected and concentric, said piston in one being connected to said draw frame by a rod extending concentrically through the other and its fixed piston.
 13. A foundry molding maching comprising a vertically movable table adapted to support a sand filled flask having a pattern therein, a squeeze head thereabove, means for elevating said table to squeeze the sand in such flask, support means for holding such flask in the position achieved at the completion of the squeeze so that the lowering of the table will draw the pattern from the mold, said support means comprising a hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly and a reservoir, and check valve means interconnecting the same to permit fluid to flow from the latter to the former but not vice versa.
 14. A machine as set forth in claim 13 including control valve means also interconnecting said piston-cylinder assembly and said reservoir to bypass said check valve in response to operation of said control valve means.
 15. A machine as set forth in claim 13 wherein said reservoir is in the form of a cylinder surrounding the cylinder of said hydraulic piston-cylinder assembly.
 16. A machine as set forth in claim 13 wherein said piston-cylinder assembly extends vertically, and flask retaining means mounted on the rod of said piston-cylinder assembly operative to confine such flask for vertical movement therewith.
 17. A machine as set forth in claim 16 wherein said flask retaining means comprises sets of vertically spaced lateral projections which receive therebetween a lateral projection of the flask.
 18. A machine as set forth in claim 17 wherein said sets are each mounted on vertically extending guide rods connected to the rod of said piston-cylinder assembly.
 19. A machine as set forth in claim 17 wherein said sets of vertically spaced lateral projections comprise discs with a spacer therebetween.
 20. A machine as set forth in claim 13 wherein said piston-cylinder assembly extends vertically with the rod projecting upwardly, said check valve means being connected to the blind end of the cylinder.
 21. A machine as set forth in claim 20 wherein said reservoir is cylindrical and concentric with the cylinder. 